by M. D. Cooper
A few seconds later, she was surrounded by far less fire, but immensely more foam. She swiped a hand over the controls to continue searching them.
“Pull D-twelve!” Nizhoni shouted.
What did that mean?
Reece noticed then that several of the controls each had a small number at the left corner, and the designations ran from right to left, bottom to top.
“D-twelve!” She pulled out a knob, and along came a small gyro. Reece realized it must be for the combine’s automated harvesting mode, and gave it a quarter turn to the right and slid it back into place.
The combine’s alignment systems suddenly thought the machine was on a steep incline to the right, and turned left to compensate. She looked ahead, and the machine was now steadily turning away from the building. Soon she’d be going parallel to it.
Which was good, but didn’t stop the thing, or get her off it.
“Jump!” Nizhoni shouted.
“No!” Reece shouted back. Her hands and feet were burned, the surfaces around her were slick with foam, and her eyes still felt kind of weird. If she were to jump off, she might just jump right under the wheels of this thing.
But then the pair outside started spewing foam at her again and Reece pulled open the combine’s door and leapt. She grazed her shoulder against the rear wheel, spun, and hit the ground hard..
She’d never hear the end of how badly this had gone. As she lay on her back, gasping for air. From the shouts and salty cursing, Reece was vaguely aware that Nizhoni and Hamil were still battling the combine.
Reece knew she had to help, coughing as she sat up, bits of the fire suppressing foam spraying from her lips.
Ahead, she saw the combine finally roll to a stop right in the middle of the road, its engine dying—hopefully from the air intake being clogged than from a fuel leak.
Reece heaved a sigh of relief. Either way, the whiskey was safe. And all the people, too, of course.
Most importantly, this job had just come to an end, outside of some paperwork and meetings. After her big combine adventure, she wouldn’t mind a day of those mundane details.
AFTERMATH
DATE: 05.16.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Ohiyo, Akonwara
REGION: Machete System, PED 4B, Orion Freedom Alliance
Schramm sighed. He’d done that once already and hadn’t started talking yet. Reece looked at Trey, and they both gave the tiniest shrug.
“Third-degree burns on your hands and feet,” Schramm said. “A destroyed combine. And you’re pleased with how that went?”
“Well, we got the guys,” Reece said. “I had to seek medical care while Trey dealt with them, so we don’t have that part on camera, but he did a great job of forcing the truth out of them.”
Since Reece had gotten to be the Big Combine Hero, she felt entirely magnanimous about crediting all of the interrogation, admission of guilt, and drafting of an agreement for making amends to Trey.
“And, for some reason, Sage at Smooth thought that damaging Nizhoni’s business would be worth it? And when his henchmen were captured, he immediately offered full restitution. And Nizhoni was pleased to accept it?” Schramm stared at Reece, unblinking.
“Well, sure, when you put it that way, it sounds weird,” Trey said. “But you have the video of the incident, and the signatures of the people involved, and the contract with Sage. It’s all right there.”
“Even the hospital report, along with the bill, for Reece’s injuries.” Schramm frowned.
Although Reece hadn’t at all enjoyed being burned, the medical report gave their story an extra dimension of plausibility.
Reece nodded. “Yep. We put in overtime on this one and turned in a better result than you could have hoped.”
“Is that right?” Schramm gazed into her eyes, as if trying to pry the truth out of her soul.
“Absolutely,” she insisted. “We tied it all up in a neat bow, and kept expenses relatively low, thanks to the compensation provided by Sage.”
“I see.” He looked up at the ceiling.
He knew they were lying. But sometimes lies came with the job, if they were in the interest of the company.
“Good job, then,” he said drily. “Very well done. Clearly, you two have reached genius level in problem-solving and conflict resolution.”
Trey nodded. “Oh yeah. And I owe it all to Reece here, for teaching me so well. I’m three times the employee I was when I first started. Maybe five times. Six, if you count inflation.”
“Uh huh.” A tiny smile quirked at Schramm’s lips. “I see that.”
“In fact,” Trey continued, “I feel like a bonus is in order. Maybe even a general raise. And I think I’ve proven that I should be given the privilege of carrying firearms.”
Schramm’s smile gained strength. “Is that right? Though I do seem to remember giving you one just a few weeks ago.” He looked to Reece. “And you?”
“Oh, what could I possibly need?” She waved away the suggestion, then paused thoughtfully. “Well, actually, money is always good. Yeah. Money.”
Schramm smiled in earnest now. “After pulling off such a feat, I’ll see what I can do. Maybe I can roll it into the last one since it hasn’t taken effect yet. So long as you remember who has your back.”
The implication in his words were clear, but Reece let it slide. That’s how things were done in the corporate world.
“Oh, and some time off,” Trey said. “My first two jobs here have been big ones. I could use a little time off to relax and see to some personal matters.”
“He’s hot for Raya at Donnercorp and wants some time to try to impress her,” Reece said in a confidential tone to Schramm.
Trey gasped theatrically. “That is a really cheap way of putting it, and how rude of you to go around telling people that.” Then he shrugged. “But yeah. Pretty much.”
“And I need to help my aunt with some yard work,” Reece said. “Though I need to wait a few days. New skin is so sensitive and itchy.”
Just thinking of it made her want to scratch her palms.
“Some time off shouldn’t be a problem. Actually, I’ve been involved in some internal restructuring, and expect to be busy myself. So outside of anything unforeseen, you two are free to take a couple weeks off.”
A momentary thought occurred to Reece that Schramm had somehow leveraged this event to further himself.
Actually, I should be surprised if he didn’t use my last two jobs to his benefit.
Reece rubbed her hands together. “Great! I mean, great that we get time off. Not great that you’re terribly busy.”
“I assumed.” Schramm smirked. “I’ll be in touch if anything comes up, but otherwise, you two enjoy your little vacation.”
Reece knew a dismissal when she heard it. “Will do. Try not to work too hard.”
Schramm chuckled without any humor in evidence. “That is not how being a corporate executive works. But thanks for the thought.”
Out in the hall, as they waited for the elevator, Trey glanced back toward Schramm’s office. “Poor guy seems overworked.”
“Sometimes,” she agreed. “The tradeoff is all the perks of being a VIP citizen in Machete. Few would turn that down.”
Trey nodded. “I would. I’m getting good at this fixer thing.”
“You think so? You have a lot to learn still…but yeah. You’re coming along.”
“Wow, high praise.”
Reece stepped into the elevator when it opened. “As high as you’re going to get, anyway.”
“Let’s celebrate closing this case tonight at Kippy’s. I’ll see if Raya wants to come.”
“Better yet,” Reece said, “Let’s take Sequoia and Reggie there for their final exam. Then we can both start staying at our own places again.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention, my lease went through on that house near yours, so we’ll be neighbors. Just like you wanted. But sure, let’s do the final exam thing, too. We should invite,
Nizhoni, too. She’ll probably say no, but it would be nice to ask.”
Reece tried to imagine Nizhoni at the Ringtoad.
She grinned. “Sure. You ask her, though.”
* * * * *
Reece moved her things home before arriving at the Ringtoad. She had little doubt that Reggie and Sequoia would pass their final exam. They’d come along well, and no doubt would keep improving and moving up the security ladder. She liked that she’d had something to do with getting them started.
Contacts like that could prove valuable when she needed a favor, after all.
When she arrived, she felt a shock at seeing Nizhoni at the bar, laughing with Kippy. They looked like old friends. As Reece neared, she heard them talking about types of whiskeys and the people who drank them.
Apparently, that was funny to people who worked in the booze business.
After saying hello to Nizhoni, Reece slid down to the end of the bar to sit in her customary seat. A few minutes later, Kippy came by carrying a bottle of H&P.
“I hear you’re celebrating,” he said.
“Yep. Finished the job. Did it beautifully, too. Kind of masterful.”
“I gather from what Nizhoni said that the job involved her. I’d be very curious to hear about that.” He poured her a glass of whiskey.
“Now that it’s done, I could share some details.”
Wait. Was he flirting with her? And had she used a flirtatious tone when she’d said she could tell him a little about it?
She wasn’t sure. It kind of felt like they were acting as they usually did, but she had a new sensitivity to the details.
Or had they always behaved in a flirtatious fashion and she’d just never realized it?
This could get complicated.
Reece turned when the door opened, glad for the distraction. Reggie and Sequoia had arrived, with Raya right behind them.
“How do you feel about rustling up a fight?” she asked Kippy. “Not for me. For the young’uns over there.”
He grinned at her. “Sure. Does that mean you’ve decided to start growing up?”
She pursed her lips. “Maybe I’ll start. But it could be a long process.”
His grin softened to a smile, and his eyes lit with that new warmth. “As long as it’s progress, I’ll take it.”
“Hm, progress.” She considered the word. “I guess we can call it that. It’s something different, anyway.”
“Different is good,” he said emphatically.
She wasn’t sure exactly how to answer that, even though in her gut she kind of agreed.
Reggie and Sequoia noticed Reece and approached.
“Are we all set for our final exam?” Reggie asked. “I’m kind of ready to be done with your training drills.”
Reece pointed at him, and then Sequoia. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves. I have an agreement with Sage to keep you two on your toes.”
Sequoia rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure whether to be happy about that, or deeply disgruntled.”
“We live in ambiguous times,” Reece said with a shrug. “Be both.”
“So Kippy’s going to set up a fight for each of us?” Reggie asked.
Somehow Nizhoni appeared from across the bar. “There’s fighting here?”
“Not, like, as a show event or anything,” Kippy answered cautiously. “Just a fun bout here and there.”
Nizhoni clapped her hands together and laughed. “Oh, I am going to show you fuckers some fighting! I am so glad I came.”
Reggie’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and Reece came to his rescue. “She’d be fighting someone else. Not you.”
Reggie relaxed, but Nizhoni looked disappointed. “Oh, come on. They can even work together.”
Sequoia spoke up. “Actually, that sounds like fun. Let’s do that.”
As far as Reece was concerned, he passed his exam with that statement. But she said, “All right, then! This will be one to remember, I’m guessing.”
Nizhoni pumped her fist and Kippy looked like he didn’t know what to make of all this.
Trey arrived, glancing over his shoulder at Raya, who sat at a table near the bar. Reece waved to her, and the fixer waved back.
“I thought I overheard the idea of these two fighting Nizhoni,” Trey said. “That’s not true, is it?”
“They’re up for it,” Reece said. “And it sure sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
Trey looked from Nizhoni to the two young men. “Okay. Sure. Fun.” He looked at Kippy. “Can I get two glasses of H&P?”
“OK, I have to ask.” Reece addressed Nizhoni. “Why is it that there are two hatchets on the H&P label when it’s called Hatchett and Pipe?”
Nizhoni leveled at stare at Reece that seemed to say, ‘you might be the dumbest person I’ve ever met’, before replying. “One is a pipe. As in an old Iroquois peace pipe from ancient earth. How can you live in a system where everything is named from Iroquois history and not know that?”
Reece ignored the insult and peered at the bottle’s label. “Really? Are you sure?”
“You wanna fight me over it?” Nizhoni growled.
“Reece,” Trey put his hand on her arm. “Do you really want to bite the hand that…uh…waters you?”
Reece considered that for a moment, then shrugged as Kippy handed the glasses of whiskey to Trey. “No, good point, Sorry Nizhoni.”
The surly woman muttered something indecipherable as Trey tipped both glasses at Sequoia and Reggie before walking back to Raya. “Good luck.”
“You don’t have energy drinks, do you?” Reggie asked.
“Sure. Alcoholic or not?” Kippy peered at him quizzically.
“Let’s start with not. We’ll add the alcohol later to ease my pain.”
Kippy nodded. “You got it. Have a seat. I’ll send it out.”
“One for me too,” Sequoia said.
They started to sit at the bar, but the only seats open were next to Nizhoni. Amused, Reece watched them decide not to go that route, and instead cross the bar to sit at a tiny table by the door.
Reece chuckled. She looked over to Trey and Raya, who seemed to be having a great time together, then turned back around to face the bar.
Kippy stood there, refilling her glass. As he righted the bottle, he caught her gaze. His eyes were full of new warmth and old mischief.
It was going to be a fun night.
THE END
* * * * *
Reece and Trey have survived their latest adventure, and even come out a little ahead. But something doesn’t seem right with Rexcare.
Pick up With Guns Blazing where Reece and Trey go to war with their own company in a well-armed epic adventure in the Machete System Bounty Hunter series. If they can stay one step ahead, they might just survive.
* * * * *
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THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
The Intrepid Saga (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New
Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: War on a Thousand Fronts
- Book 7: Fallen Empire (2018)
- Book 8: Airtha Ascendancy (2018)
- Book 9: The Orion Front (2018)
- Book 10: Starfire (2019)
- Book 11: Race Across Time (2019)
- Book 12: Return to Sol (2019)
Tales of the Orion War
- Book 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: Ignite the Stars
- Book 3: Burn the Galaxy to Ash (2018)
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War – w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course
- Book 4: Impact Imminent
- Book 5: Critical Inertia (2018)
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander
- Book 5: Rika Infiltrator (2018)
- Book 6: Rika Unleashed (2018)
- Book 7: Rika Conqueror (2019)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: The Trail Through the Stars
- Eps 4-6 Omnibus: The Path Amongst the Clouds
Season 2: Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds